A Monster Story: A Molly Weasley II Collection
by KillTheLights95
Summary: Written for Hedwig Black's 'Minor Character Boot Camp Challenge', this story will be a collection of one-shots centred around Molly Weasley II.


**Written for Hedwig Black's 'Minor Character Bootcamp Challenge', this story will be a collection of one-shots centred around Molly Weasley II.  
**

* * *

**February 23rd 2021  
Age 16**

**Afraid**

The sun was drifting lazily toward the horizon, spilling purple and orange across the clouds and casting languid shadows across the Hogwarts grounds. Molly watched from her perch on the Astronomy Tower as a group of third years threw sweets into the lake, the long tentacles of the Giant Squid floating to the surface to catch them. She could make out Hagrid in the distance, shifting snow from his door with a shovel almost the size of her. The rest of the grounds were deserted, several snowball fights having dissipated moments ago, their participants traipsing to their common rooms, coated with a thick layer of snow.

"Alright, Weasley?" sang a familiar voice and Molly rolled her eyes, though her lips turned up slightly. Turning around she spotted Jason Wood, his dark hair flopping over his forehead, his wand tucked in his shirt pocket. He was shivering slightly, but Molly couldn't help but feel that that was his own fault; who walks around in nothing but a shirt and jeans in February?

"What are you doing?" he asked, and Molly took a moment before answering. Jason was one of her closest friends; in fact, he was definitely her closest male friend. She could be honest with him, and risk him laughing in her face, or she could lie; it wouldn't be difficult.

Taking a deep breath, Molly decided on the truth. Or at least a bit of it. "Watching the sunset. It's my favourite part of the day."

"Really?" Jason asked curiously. "I prefer it dark, just after the moon rises."

This was her opening, but she found she couldn't say it. She couldn't voice the fear inside her. Instead, she said, "I thought you'd be an early morning type of person, what with all those Quidditch practices at dawn."

Jason snorted and shoved her playfully. Molly knew full well how much Jason detested early mornings, even if it was to play Quidditch. Jason's arm moved slightly, brushing against her own and she gasped, drawing back suddenly.

"You're frozen!" she exclaimed, and she slid off her thick jacket draping it around his shoulder. "Why don't you have a jumper?"

"I was planning on staying indoors, but then I fancied a walk and I ended up out here. Didn't realise how chilly it was though."

"It February, you prat," Molly laughed. Jason strained to wind the jacket round his broad shoulders; it was designed to fit Molly's slim frame, not a tall Quidditch player like Jason. She turned back to the sky, where the sun was barely peering over the edge of the treetops, the sky steadily turning a deeper shade of indigo. Glancing around the Astronomy Tower, Molly noticed the darkness creeping along the walls, the parapets shading her feet and knees, enveloping them in a black blanket. She swallowed loudly and lurched to her feet.

"Hey," grumbled Jason, his thick eyebrows furrowing. Molly ignored him and instead grabbed the book she'd brought up from the floor, tucking it securely under her arm.

"I'm going to the library," she mumbled. "Got to return this."

She turned away from him as quickly as she could, hastily lighting her wand as she did so. But suddenly his arm was around her wrist, pulling her back to face him.

"Hey," he said, more gently this time. "What's wrong?"

Molly bit her lip, weighing her options, but ended up shaking her head and trying to leave again. Jason's grip was too tight though, and she swung back to him, his dark eyes boring into hers.

"Weasley…" Jason whined, and he sounded so petulant, so childlike, that she burst into laughter. Once she started, it was hard to stop, and the huffy expression on his face didn't help.

"Sorry," she murmured once she'd got her breath back. "It's just…I'll feel like an idiot."

"Molly, I'm your friend. You know heaps of stupid stuff about me. I told you about the time dad took me to one of his Quidditch matches and I screamed because he wouldn't let me meet his teammates and I ended up kicking the referee?"

Molly laughed again, remembering the incident and various others that Jason had told her about. Maybe he wouldn't laugh?

"I'm scared of the dark," she whispered.

She didn't look at him for a moment, instead examining a scuff mark on the toe of her shoe. But when he spoke, it wasn't the response she expected.

"That's it? You're afraid of the dark?" she risked looking up at him and found a calm, almost unimpressed expression on his admittedly handsome face. "Why would I find that funny? My sister is _Clare Wood_, scared of her own bloody reflection. She's scared of everything, and although it's pretty funny sometimes, she does have a few genuine phobias and let me tell you, they're not funny at all."

Molly took a step back. Jason actually sounded understanding. "So you don't think I'm an idiot?"

"Molly, everyone's afraid of something. Want to know what I'm afraid of?" She nodded. "Thunderstorms."

"Really?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I mean, it's not really a phobia. Dominique used to make us do Quidditch practice in them. But when I'm inside and the windows are rattling and it's pouring with rain and the sky starts to rumble? That's scary."

Molly didn't say anything for a moment. She would never have guessed that laidback Jason Wood was afraid of anything; it was quite a revelation.

"Thank you," she mumbled. He nodded and looped his arm loosely around hers, wrapping her jacket back around her shoulders. Then, lighting his own wand, they wandered down the stone steps, Jason reliving another childhood tale where his cousin was trampled by a Hippogriff Jason had set loose…


End file.
